Safe Oasis Grant Program accepting applications through 8/31

Housing non-profit re|shelter has opened the doors to its Safe Oasis Grant Program beginning today, Wednesday, August 8, 2012. Applications will be accepted through August 31. Re|shelter will offer (5) small grants up to $2,000 each* to eligible individuals whose ability to continue to live safely in their current home has been severely compromised by environmental intolerances.** All grant monies awarded are required to be used for home and trailer renovations (including materials and labor), air quality improvement appliances, chemical/mold/emf testing, or towards the purchase of environmentally safer homes and trailers to be used as a primary residence. Those currently homeless may be able to use the grant monies toward a security deposit and first month’s rent for an environmentally safer rental home. The Safe Oasis Grant Program is only open to legal residents of the U.S. at this time.

Applications will be reviewed, grants awarded and checks will be mailed out by October 15, 2012. Re|shelter co-founders Julie Genser and Julie Laffin will review all applications for eligibility. An independent panel comprised of veteran MCS housing activists (Susan Molloy, Anne Steinemann, Pamela Gibson, Melinda Honn, Gregory Conrad, Leslie Lawrence, and Paul Maurer) will then review all documentation regarding medical and financial need, and any other relevant information, in order to determine the grant recipients.

Re|shelter is now issuing a last call for their Safe Oasis grant fund. They currently have $10,000 in grant monies to award, collected from private donations since their inception in 2010 as well as a Holiday 2011 eBay Auction conducted last year. Re|shelter is putting a call out to its supporters to at least double that amount by September 30 so they can award more grants before the final grant decisions are made in October. All contributions to re|shelter between now and September 30 will be earmarked for the Safe Oasis Grant Program, which will only benefit U.S. residents.

*Depending on grant amounts requested and additional funds received by September 30, 2012, funds may be awarded for additional grants.
**One application per household.